The first FCC and first ever women's event to offer 100,000 in prize money. Rosie wins the richest prize ever up to this point-$30,000 for first place. Only two points from defeat, Rosie tried an audacious drop shot that hit the line. The exciting finish before a national TV audience had the capacity crowd of 2,000 on the edge of their seats.

Both finalists had to overcome huge barriers to reach the final. Casals beat her doubles partner King for the first time in their last 17 matches, a losing streak that went all the way back to 1971. Meanwhile Gunter crafted 3 upsets that included escaping 9 match points over two different matches.

In the first round vs. Francoise Durr , Gunter survives 6 match points in all, 3 with winners from 2-4 in the sudden death tiebreaker in the 1R after a grueling 2 and half hours.

The quarters see even more drama when Margaret Court takes off her shoes and plays in socks. Margaret was battling cramps, a cold, and Nancy's sharp play. At 2-0 in the third the Aussie started to cramp, a persistent probelm throughout her career. Her pace slowed, the umpire twice had to warn her about delays, and the drama built as Court took off her shoes. It seemed worth the effort as Court got to match points at 5-2 40-15, but Gunter saved one with a brave forehand volley and then ran away with the next 5 games.

Of court a peace deal is finally signed between the USTA and Virginia Slims. There will be no bans on the Slims women at the slams, and the USTA will sanction Slims events in 1974-giving women's tennis one united tour. The unified tour won't come about until 1974 though, so the women will continue to have two competing circuits for much of the year.
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The horrible scheduling for a Fed Cup indicates the poor cooperation between the pro circuits and the ITF. The US team is gutted with all it's top women at the FCC. Ruzici leads an upset of Britian to reach the semis.
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A women's only event not connected to any circuit. As the biggest drawing card King was paid a large guarantee to fly over. 3,800 attend the first day in Tokyo.

King took home $8,400 for winning the title.

It was on the plane ride back that these women pros heard of the Mother's Day Massacre. The event was actually played over a number of Japanese cities (Osaka, Kobe, etc) ending in Tokyo for the semis and final. The Japanese erupted at winning volleys and overheads but remained "eerily silent" at baseline play. The only sound to be heard during the Durr-Gunter semi was Nancy's grunts!

16 year old lefty Fromholtz continues to advance. Wade's "Thoughtful and disciplined attack" brought down Evonne. It was tough going for the Brit at first, as Miss Sunshine refused to miss. When Evonne finally missed a shot over the baseline Wade exclaimed. "Well done! She's missed one." By the end Evonne was the one with no answers-even trying to run around her backhand, normally her stronger side.

May 13 "Battle of the Sexes", Ramona, California, United States (Hard)
Venue: San Vicente Country Club

Prize Money= $10,000

Bobby Riggs d. Margaret Court 6-2 6-1

It was a bad day from the start for Court. Her little son threw her sneakers down the toilet; which is how her game went too. 55 year old Riggs presented her with flowers for Mother's Day and proceeded to slow ball Court to death in a mere 57 minutes. The so-called "Mother's Day Massacre" set the stage for the King-Riggs battle in September.

With defending champ Billie Jean King and Casals skipping the French, interest centered on a possible final between Margaret Court and Chris Evert. With the women divided into two circuits, this is the first major event where all the women can compete together.

Court was shaky in early rounds, despite not dropping a set. Paris was her first event after being humiiated in a battle of the sexes defeat by Bobby Riggs, the infamous "Mother's Day Massacre". Riggs is looking for another woman to challenge, and rumors are it will be Evert.

Rain delays are so common this year that the women play the quarters, semis, and finals on back to back days. The men and women are reduced to slogging through mud, and play continues unless it pours. One late men's match on center court is finished as the sun sets in "an air of unreality. Fewer than 20 spectators were watching".

Third seed Virginia Wade, "playing perhaps the worst match of her career", crashes out to French mainstay Roubin in round 3.

Nancy Richey, seen as the only real challenger to Court and Evert, is an upset victim of Czech Martina Navratilova. Richey had beaten both top seeds on clay before and gave Evert fits in 1972.

Martina is so little known that the New York Times lists her as "Maria" Navratilova in the first two rounds.

Court gets by Goolagong and Evert crushes Durr in the semis. Evert needed only 37 minutes to bundle out the Frenchwoman.

Court wins a close final and two legs on a second grand slam. Chris came back from two set points and 2-5 in the tiebrek to win the first set. Evert was as close as two points from victory, but Margaret's experience told in the end as she won the 2 hr. 17 minute duel to deny Evert her first major.
Chris Evert said after losing to Margaret Court in the French Open final: "I must confess I didn't know Margaret could play so well on clay. I was serving for the match at 5-3 in the second set and thought I had it sewn up. But I lost three points and was down 0-40. How do you get out of that?" Before this match, Evert was 3-0 against Court on clay.

Vlasta Vopickova is the sister of Jan Kodes. Chris Evert defeated Helga Niessen Masthoff in the semifinals on her sixth match point. Evonne upsets Chris in 69 minutes. Both the score and the surface sets off rumors that Evert is finished as a threat for the top spot. The WOT reports that in the second set Goolagong "produced the finest tennis of her carrer" in front of "a wildly enthuisiastic crowd".

Evonne on her performance: "I love the atmosphere here ---I wanted to run even after a point had finished. That was easily the best I've played on a clay court."

Early in the event Virginia Wade runs into controversy. After beating Marijke Schaar the Dutch girl at first refuses to shake her hand, claiming Wade cheated.

Young Czechs Navratilova and Tomanova excited the Romans "usually so blase about women's tennis". They upset #1 seeds Goolagong/Young before falling in an exciting final to Morozova/Wade.